Case-Control Epidemiology of Cancer Cavi Oris Preliminary Results

Abstract

A careful clinical registration of oral cavity conditions is undertaken with respect to mucosal abnormalities, candida albicans, dental status and oral hygiene in 40 consecutive incident cases of primary epithelial oral cavity cancer.

Furthermore exposition to factors: alcohol, tobacco, snuff, chewing-tobacco and profession are recorded.

Patients are matched in a case-control study according to sex and age with non-hospitalized persons taken from the Danish Central Registry of Persons. Ratio cases : controls is 1:3. Response-rate for patients is 100%, for controls 87%.

The preliminary risk estimates (OR) for tobacco and alcohol based on discrete analysis shows a considerably greater association between alcohol and oral cancer than between oral cancer and tobacco. No significant association is found between any specific profession and oral cancer, but the material is as yet too small to reveal any such cause/effect relationship.

Key Words:

• Oral cancer
• Alcohol
• Tobacco